


That Distant Shore

by spilledtea



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Brotherly Love, Family, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I promise, I'm Bad At Tagging, Slight mentions of blood, just a bit of angst though, my son is hurt help him, oh my god they killed splinter, those bastards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 06:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17483180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spilledtea/pseuds/spilledtea
Summary: He's with his brothers. They're on top of a cliff, sprawled across the soft, lush grass as they watch the large, white clouds lazily float by. The sky is a vivid azure, the colour reminding him of his mask and his eyes. Perhaps the eyes of his youngest brother as well. He hears the sound of waves crashing against the shore below them. He takes a deep breath.Leo is left alone with his thoughts for a bit.





	That Distant Shore

**Author's Note:**

> 'That Distant Shore' is a song from Steven Universe, and it inspired me to write this down. Check it out, you won't regret it!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX8RI83GU4Y

_It all became so lovely..._  
_Those bluest skies above me..._

He opens his eyes and looks around.

He's with his brothers. They're on top of a cliff, sprawled across the soft, lush grass as they watch the large, white clouds lazily float by. The sky is a vivid azure, the colour reminding him of his mask and his eyes. Perhaps the eyes of his youngest brother as well. He hears the sound of waves crashing against the shore below them. He takes a deep breath.

The humid sea air smells like saltwater, a welcome change from the odour of sewage he had become so accustomed to. Sitting up, he watches as the clear waves reflect the sunlight, the dazzling rays making the sea look as if thousands of tiny jewels had been scattered across the horizon. It looks beautiful.

_Those funny feelings I had never felt before I met you..._

He hears bickering and shuffling from behind him, a shout of protest and then a heavy thump. He heaves a long-suffering sigh, already fully prepared to tell his brothers to knock it off before things escalate out of hand. And that's when he hears it.

Laughter. Rich, hearty laughter coming from his red-banded brother. He turns around and his heart swells as he watches his two baby brothers team up in a tickle fight against his immediate younger one. Their own giggles and laughs mix with their older sibling's and the sound is just music to the eldest. His constantly tense shoulders relax.

It's been a while since he's done that. It feels nice.

 _I thought I'd stay a while..._  
_I tried to learn to smile..._

Despite himself, the carefree sight inspires laughter to bubble out of him as well. The red-clad turtle shoots him a look of surprise which quickly turns into one of mock-hurt. He cries out for help and denounces his older brother's treachery for leaving him at the mercy of the other two. It's almost impressive, the amount of theatricality involved. Usually, that was the youngest's department. It only serves to fuel the laughter of everyone else involved.

Once the grips on him weaken, the normally hot-headed terrapin lunges towards his leader, intent on getting back at him for his lack of help. As the katana-wielder gets pushed onto his shell, he gazes up at the younger turtle, mischief filling his eyes.

As solemnly as he can, he announces that his brother will regret his impertinence towards his elders and that he has no choice but to make the next move to regain his honour. He strikes.

_So many colours I had never even known..._

An intense tickle battle leaves all of them gasping for breath. Even then, it takes a while before the chuckles peter out completely, the utter absurdity of it all catching up to them. A group of four capable, fully-trained, highly-dangerous ninjas participating in a tickle fight of epic proportions.

A comfortable silence reigns as the brothers watch the sun setting in the horizon, staining the formerly blue sky with shades of red, pink and orange. They're never able to witness these kinds of things often, what with the whole living in the sewers gig and all. They drink in the view, taking advantage of the moment for as long as they possibly can.

_Maybe I'll find myself sitting on that distant shore..._

The air is calm, a soft breeze causing the tails of their bandannas to flutter just slightly. The atmosphere is free from the usual tension or energy that come whenever they're in the middle of danger or on a mission. A reprieve from their endlessly hectic lifestyle that was long overdue.

For the eldest terrapin, who had recently taken on the role of Sensei, it's also a break from the endless responsibilities and the ever-looming fear of failure. Failing his brothers. His friends. His clan. They had been lost without their father and had only just started to pick up the broken pieces of their family. But they're on the mend. That's all that matters now. Not the harsh, uninviting air that fills the dojo sometimes whenever he does his katas or meditation.

_Maybe I'm not alone..._

He isn't alone. He never is. Not in a lair with three younger brothers.

 _Then I see the colours fading..._  
_Gentleness of light escaping..._

But he's still lonely.

The sky darkens as stormy grey clouds start to envelop it. He hears his brothers groan in disappointment as the sunset quickly disappears from sight. He feels a shiver go down his spine and his stomach clenches. Something is wrong. He can sense it. The danger lurking nearby as they realise their surroundings had become shrouded in darkness.

He narrows his eyes, searching for any sign of movement not of their own, any sound that can reveal they're not the only ones on the cliff. Warily, he reaches for his blades. His brothers reach for their own weapons as well. He thinks they must have sensed it too. He frowns.

Hadn't they gone through enough?

_Shadows of my fear invading, have I seen this all before?_

Weapons drawn, he surveys the sea of Foot surrounding them. They appear to be awaiting orders. He goes into a fighting stance. He feels his nictitating membranes slide into position over his eyes. Suddenly, it's as if he's back at that construction site, fighting for his life. The only exception is the fact that his brothers are here with him this time. He has to remember that. He isn't by himself. He swiftly dispatches a ninja advancing towards his bo-wielding brother. He has to protect them.

 _I know that there's something residing..._  
_A terror deep inside me..._

It's with great horror that he discovers the blood dripping from his blades. He hadn't been paying attention. He had been too swept up in the heat of battle, too high on adrenaline- too _stupid-_ to realise that the ninja pinning his baby brother down wasn't a bot. Carelessly, he had run him through with his swords without a second thought. Numb, he kicks the lifeless ninja off of his katana and makes eye contact with his youngest brother.

He is too young, much too young to have witnessed such a thing. He fully expects to see a look of fear or disgust on that innocent, freckled face. All he sees is understanding in those baby blue eyes. He receives a curt nod before a flash of orange and green tells him that his brother has returned to fighting off the rest of the horde.

_I couldn't understand how you could be so bold..._

He can't move, suddenly. His limbs feel like they're being dragged down by heavy, lead weights. He can only watch, useless, as his brothers defend themselves against the sea of red eyes, black uniforms and glinting steel.

He absently notes that their skills have improved greatly. The sais, bo staff and nunchucks all moving harmoniously in a dangerous dance. He looks down at his own weapons. Both blades sport a dull sheen, a tell-tale sign of frequent use and meticulous care. All he sees is the red, viscous liquid already starting to dry on them.

_Maybe I'll find myself smiling on that distant shore..._

Looking back up, he finds himself face-to-face with the clan's most hated enemy, the Shredder. He still doesn't find it in himself to move, to defend himself, to cry out for help, to do something, anything. Then he realises that he's standing on the crumbling precipice of the cliff. It's almost too easy.

He almost doesn't hear his brothers shouting his name as his bandanna tails disappear over the edge. Their voices were drowned out slightly by the sickening crack of his plastron against that accursed gauntlet.

He's nearing the water.

He closes his eyes.

_Maybe I'm not alone..._

* * *

 

Leonardo opens his eyes as a sudden pressure on his shell stirs him out of his meditative state.

"Shell, Leo, I've been tellin' you that dinner's ready for the last 5 minutes! Mikey's already driving me nuts so if you could kindly move your a--"

The blue-masked turtle easily slides out from under his brother's weight and stands, an amused smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as Raphael lets out an indignant yell at the sudden loss of contact. His brother had been leaning on his shell, and now he was lying across the dojo floor thanks to his abrupt move.

He offers a hand to his second-in-command, still smiling. Raph huffs but takes it, muttering something under his breath. He's about to leave the dojo when Leo pulls him back and... hugs him. The sai-wielder froze at the unexpected show of affection, unsure of what had gotten into his brother to act so strangely. Not that he was complaining, though.

Slowly, he returns the embrace. The two of them stay like that for a short while before Raph belatedly realises his brother's slightly off-kilter breathing. He pulls back to examine the older terrapin and berates himself for not noticing sooner when Leo looks away from his scrutinising gaze.

"Whatever you saw back there... it isn't real, alright?" He murmurs, pulling the katana-wielder back in tightly. Leo makes a noise that sounds like a muffled 'thank you' and that's enough for him.

The tender moment is shattered when they both hear the tell-tale click of a camera, as well as see the pretty obvious flash. They pull away from each other, fast enough to catch sight of Michelangelo's orange bandanna tails disappearing from the doorway.

"DONNIEEE, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS, BRO--" Their baby brother's squeals are heard throughout the lair. Immediately, Raph takes off, and threats of pummeling follow the high-pitched calls for their genius brother. An annoyed voice that no doubt belongs to Donatello can be heard from the direction of the lab.

Leo blinks before shaking his head and chuckling to himself as he walks out of the dojo. He feels lighter than he's ever felt in days.

He isn't alone.

He never is.

Not in a lair with three younger brothers.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boi... hope you guys liked this. It's my first dive into writing for the TMNT fandom, so constructive criticism will be appreciated. I'm planning on writing more about the boys soon, so watch out for that. Until then, cheers!


End file.
